Jeff Hafley was criticized for a coaching hire
The Miami Dolphins have officially announced they are entering a new era. The faces in charge of leading this era of Dolphins football are general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley. The pair were introduced in a joint press conference in which they spoke about how they were aligned in their team-building philosophy.
They both arrived from the Green Bay Packers organization, as Sullivan was the Packers’ vice president of player personnel; meanwhile, Hafley was the Packers defensive coordinator. Hafley stood out among all the candidates who interviewed, and he was Miami’s lone interviewee to receive a second interview. Forty-five minutes after that second interview ended, Miami offered the job to Hafley because they did not want him to take additional interviews with other NFL teams.
Now, Hafley is in charge of assembling his first NFL coaching staff. Some of the moves he has made so far have drawn some negative feedback.
Miami Dolphins Criticized for OC Hire
In a somewhat surprising move, the Dolphins retained a staff member from the Mike McDaniel era. Bobby Slowik, who joined McDaniel’s staff prior to the 2025 season as the team’s senior pass game coordinator, has been promoted to offensive coordinator. Prior to joining the Dolphins, Slowik was the offensive coordinator for the Texans for three seasons. While some may suggest that his experience in the role is a plus, Miami Dolphins analyst Chris Kauffman saw it as a negative.
In a social media post, Kauffman wrote, “This is an ouch, IMO. Of course it’s impossible to say anything with certainty, but he was heavily criticized in Houston for things that started rearing their head more often in Miami.” Some Dolphins fans seemed to agree with Kauffman, as one fan replied with, “Can anyone name one accomplishment from Slowik? Pass game was in shambles last year, and he was the passing game coordinator.”
The fan makes an interesting point, as Slowik was the pass game coordinator in a struggling passing offense. Miami’s quarterback Tua Tagovailoa regressed with Slowik in charge of the passing game. With Slowik as his coach, Tagovailoa posted his lowest QBR and passer rating since his rookie season.
The hire was surprising due to Slowik being a candidate for additional offensive coordinator roles with other teams. Also, many expected Hafley to bring over someone from Green Bay.
Positives in Slowik Hire
At the end of the day, nobody really knows if a coaching hire will work out. Slowik was once seen as a promising young NFL mind who had been viewed as heading toward a head coaching job. After impressing in Houston, Slowik received interest as a head coach; he interviewed with the Jets for their head coaching vacancy.
Despite not being in Green Bay together, Hafley is familiar with Slowik. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote, “New Dolphins OC Bobby Slowik was with HC Jeff Hafley on Kyle Shanahan’s defensive staff in 2017 and ’18. Shanahan continued to speak highly of Slowik, who was Texans OC for two years before joining Mike McDaniel’s staff last year. Lots of familiarity there for Hafley.”
Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer
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